The conciliation service ACAS said its guidance was aimed at helping employers create inclusive organisations and raise awareness at work of different types of neurodiversity such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia. A lot of neurodivergent people do not see themselves as disabled but will often be considered as having a disability under the Equality Act, said ACAS.
The organisation’s head of inclusive workplaces, Julie Dennis, said: “Employees may not want to tell people that they are neurodiverse or may mask their condition due to concerns about a negative reaction at work. Bosses also need be aware that the strengths and challenges that come with a neurodiverse condition may not be the same for everyone. Our new advice has tips for employers on how to raise awareness, be inclusive, sensitive and stay within the law when managing neurodiversity at work.”
Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms, said: “Having conversations about health conditions and adjustments is the first step to fostering a healthy workplace which is good for employers and employees. This new guidance will be an important keystone to promote neurodiversity employment and will help workers and their bosses best support each other.”
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “We very much welcome the new guidance published by ACAS which sets out the obligations on employers to supporting neurodiverse employees. Usdaw will be using our Spotlight Day campaign this year to focus on the issues facing neurodiverse members at work and raise awareness of support available to them as well as outlining support for parents and carers of neurodiverse family members.
“At least one in five people in the UK are thought to be neurodivergent, a term which includes a range of different conditions including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and Tourette's. Neurodivergent members can often struggle at work due to a lack of reasonable adjustments, and members who are parents and carers looking after neurodivergent children and young adults and may themselves need support or time off work to deal with the challenges this can bring.
“Usdaw’s Parents and Carers’ Spotlight Day on 25 June will seek to provide support and advice for neurodivergent workers, those with caring responsibilities and our workplace reps who are there to help, support and advise our members through these issues.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Usdaw’s parents and carers campaign: https://www.usdaw.org.uk/campaigns/supporting-parents-and-carers/
ACAS guide: https://www.acas.org.uk/neurodiversity-at-work
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion